


What Happens in Vegas

by MagentasNightmare



Series: Fun With Merle [8]
Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Angst, F/M, Loss of Virginity, Love Story, Merle teaches a younger woman all about sex, Slow and sexy Smut, Virginity, ge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-15
Updated: 2017-06-15
Packaged: 2018-11-14 14:06:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11209629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagentasNightmare/pseuds/MagentasNightmare
Summary: I know I already posted this under Fun with Merle so I apologize for re-posting it now but I'm making Fun with Merle into a series so it's necessary to re-post it for that purpose. This will not be a regular thing, just today in order to create the series.Love ya! Teagan xoxoMerle meets a young woman in Vegas and shows her all about sex, at her request. He becomes quickly entangled in feelings for her and then they are separated by circumstances.





	1. Chapter 1

_**^What Happens in Vegas - Part 1** _

Merle was in Vegas on business again, and for the first time in ages, he was single. Vegas was always more fun when he was single. He had meetings with affiliated car dealerships but nothing too fascinating, just annual catch up.

He found a bar off the strip where the odds of picking up a hooker were lower. Merle liked casual sex, but not that casual.

He wasn't finding any women of interest as he sipped his Jameson's in the back corner of the bar until someone walked in that he couldn't take his eyes off of.

She was the polar opposite of his type, and she didn't look like she belonged in a bar at all.

Her silk dress shirt was buttoned all the way up to her slender neck, and her fitted pencil skirt was mid-calf in length. If he had to guess, he'd say she was a librarian.

She wasn't showing anyone anything, and it made him really want to see what she had under all that material. This girl was years too young for him, but that didn't mean he couldn't at least buy her a drink and flirt a little.

After a few moments of watching her at the bar he decided to try his luck, he at least wanted to talk to her.

"Hello there, Miss," he began.

"Oh, hello," she smiled.

This woman was reserved and not used to strange men approaching her, that was evident.

"You waitin' on somebody?"

"No. I was just thirsty; I've had a long day."

"Can I buy you a drink?" he asked, and she nodded back to him with pink cheeks and a shy smile.

"What'll it be, sweetheart?"

"White wine?" she answered as if it was a question.

"You got it."

She was unsure of herself, and he thought that it was such a pity for such a pretty young thing. Her brown hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and her makeup was sparse and professional. She had soft looking lips, though, and pale white skin that made him yearn to touch her. He imagined taking the elastic out of her hair and letting her hair spill all over her naked shoulders...she had his full attention.

Merle bought her the drink and suggested they go back to his booth at the back of the bar.

He soon learned that the shy woman's name was Susan, and she was a legal secretary and only in Vegas for a conference.

"You all alone for this conference, honey?" he asked.

"Yes. I've never been to Las Vegas before, I was scared to come alone, but I did it," she smiled.

"Don't be scared, girl. Have some fun! It's the city of sin, you know?" he joked.

"I'm really not much of a sinner," she shrugged, taking a short sip of her wine.

"I can see that," he chuckled.  
"You can?"

This girl was all innocence; he hadn't seen anything like her in ages.

"You look like a sweet little virgin, to be honest," he winked.

Susan sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Is it tattooed on my forehead or something?"

"Seriously?" he asked in astonishment. "How old are you?"  
"Twenty-six."

"Jesus Christ Almighty!" he moaned.

"What? Is it that bad?" she winced.

"No, just hard to imagine. Who you holding out for anyway, sweetheart?"

"I was raised in a very religious home, so I was waiting for marriage. I moved away from my hometown for work last year, though, and...I'm not as religious as I used to be."

"Still a believer?"

"Yes, but I don't want to wait for marriage anymore."

"Then don't. A beautiful creature like you could have any man you wanted."

"I wouldn't know what to do anyway...they'd laugh at me."

"No man who was worthy of you would ever laugh about you being inexperienced. It ain't' no laughing matter."

"I liked a man back home, but I couldn't bear it if he laughed at me, so I didn't try," she sighed. "Why am I telling you all of this?"

"I've heard I'm kinda easy to talk to and I'm interested so tell me anything you want to."

"What's spoken about in Vegas stays in Vegas?" she grinned.

"I ain't gonna tell anybody," he laughed.

Merle couldn't help thinking what a crime it was that she was afraid to go for the man she wanted and wondered if he could talk some sense to her. He was twenty years older than her so there was a pretty good chance he'd have advice if she wanted it.

He ordered another round, and she loosened up with him nicely. Merle knew she was off his hit list, but he still enjoyed talking to her. She was disarming and intelligent but all the while he was aware if the underlying purity of her.

"Are you married?" she asked.

"Nope, never really got to that point with anyone."

"Can I ask you how old you are?"

"Forty-five."

"You don't look that old."

He laughed at that; she was cute when she was lying.

"OK, honey, whatever you say."

"I've always found older men attractive," she said softly.

Merle chuckled a little at that and tried to imagine having a woman as untouched as her in bed; he wouldn't even know where to start.

She started to get a little more giggly after her third glass of wine, and he began to wonder where it was all going.

She excused herself to use the bathroom, and he tried to figure out her motives. If he wasn't mistaken, she was coming on to him.

Susan was gone for a good five minutes, and he ordered another round while he waited. Something told him he should check on her after a few more minutes, so he went in search of the ladies room. He thought maybe she might have taken off, but she had left her purse at the table, which he brought along with him so it wouldn't get stolen.

When he found her down the darkened corridor, she was pinned to the wall by a greasy looking guy, and he saw red.

She was repeating the word please and holding her hands against his chest to keep him at bay and Merle couldn't wait to step in.

"Hey, honey," he began. "Problem here?"

"I...he just..." she began, and she looked just like the little country mouse she was.

Here was this young woman, damn near being assaulted, and yet she was afraid of being rude.

"Get your hands off of her," he stated to the man who still hadn't moved.

"You her dad or something?" the man asked with a grin.

"He's my boyfriend," she spoke up.

Susan squirmed her way past the man standing in front of her and wrapped her arm around Merle's waist.

"Bullshit," the man laughed.

"Forget him," Merle said, leading her back to the table. His days of childish bar fights were behind him, and he had nothing to prove to anyone.

"Why don't you let her make her own decisions, grandpa?" the man called after them.

Merle turned with an amused grin and walked toward the younger man to dose out some knowledge.

"Listen here, boy. When a woman wants you, she won't be keeping you back with both her hands, just a little free advice."

Merle smacked his cheek lightly, and apparently, he'd gotten his point across that he was not to be fucked with. They heard nothing else from the creep, and he left the bar shortly after.

"Merle...that was incredible! Thank you."

"There has to be some benefit in being 45," he laughed. "For some reason, I intimidate punk kids."

"That was very impressive," she smiled. "Men are more forceful here."

"They can be, it's a shame. I can't figure why any man would want to push a woman into something like that. I've only ever wanted a willing woman," he chuckled.

"Have you been with a lot of women?" she asked as they settled back at the table.

"How many is a lot?" he deflected.

"Sorry, I shouldn't ask you that...I'm just curious about so many things."

"I've been with..." he sighed as he realized he wasn't exactly sure. "I'm gonna say 20-some?"

"Wow."

"I don't know if that's a lot for a man my age."

"I have no idea," she shrugged.

"So, you've really never done anything with a man before?" he inquired.

"I made out with a boy in college, but when I said I wasn't ready for more, he got angry and started seeing someone else."

"Sounds like an asshole."

"Most of them turned out to be."

"Hope the man you're after back home is a good one."

"I'm pretty sure Blake doesn't even know I'm alive," she sighed.

"That can't be true. He'd have to be blind to miss the likes of you."

"You're sweet, Merle."  
"I try," he chuckled. "You just need to find a man who's patient, honey, and you'll be all set. A man with some self-control and compassion is just what you need."

Susan moved a little closer and scared the hell out of him with the look in her eye.

"Are you patient?"

"Yes."

"And you have good self-control?" she pressed.

"I have complete control."

"And I can see that you're compassionate already," she said softly.

"Honey...I..."

Just a couple glasses of wine and this little virgin was pushing the envelope more than he expected; everything in his body told him to run but he couldn't.

"Where do you live anyway, honey?" he asked, trying to see how easily she'd let him stray from the topic of sex.

"Nova Scotia."

"Nova Scotia, Canada?"

"Yep."

"That's funny; I'm here from Maine. Not too far away."

"Stop it. Really? I've been there a bunch of times! We're almost neighbors!" she smiled.

"Almost."

She appeared even younger than 26 when she was excited but he liked her already; running away was getting harder by the second. She was alive, full of both shyness and sweet sincerity; it was a lovely combination in a woman that he didn't encounter every day. He didn't want to want her, but he did, he wanted to be the one to show her why sex was such a beautiful thing.

The really hard part about deciding what to do with her was that he knew he could make her first time amazing. He knew he would be infinitely patient and gentle and that she'd feel good at the end.

"Where are you staying?" she asked.

"The Marriot."

"Me too!"

"You were sent here by the devil to test me weren't you?" he asked with a little genuine curiosity.

"How do you mean?"

"Nothing. It's just that you're so young and sweet and 100% off limits."

"But you did say this was the city of sin," she giggled.

He liked how cat and mouse she was in the way she spoke. One minute she seemed naive and sweet and the next she'd be cheeky and teasing.

"Why do I get a feeling like you're not half as pure as you look?"

She just laughed at the comment but then assured him he wasn't being played.

"I'm not much of an expert with flirting; I was very sheltered growing up."

"You're flirting is just fine, sweetheart, I just don't know why you'd waste it on me. You could have any man in Las Vegas right now...you could easily have that guy you like back home too."

"I wouldn't be able to please him," she sighed.

"Yes, you would, honey. I'd bet that just touching you is some kind of magic."

"Can I ask you a really personal question?"

"Go for it."

"Have you ever had sex with a virgin before?"

Merle shook his head and couldn't help grinning at her. If this was going where it felt like it was going, then he had to admit he was interested. Merle Dixon was only human, and this woman was an adult who could make up her own mind about her own body. Still, he played it casual.

"Twice, but not for a good few years."

"Did they like it?"

"I believe they did. The second girl stayed with me for two years before we broke up so I guess she must have liked it."

He asked if she wanted another drink and she said no.

"I think I need to get back to the hotel."

"You didn't drive did you?" he asked.

"I took a taxi. I was too scared to rent a car here."

He didn't want to be away from her, another ten minutes in a cab would be better than nothing.

"Maybe we could split a cab back since we're staying at the same place."

"Merle...I don't need to be at my conference until 2 pm tomorrow."

He waited for her to continue cause if this was going down then it had to be all on her, he wasn't pushing her into anything.

"Did you want to come to my room for a nightcap?" she asked softly.

She was being forward in her own sweet way, and he wasn't about to make it any harder than it needed to be. A woman had never asked him to her room for a 'nightcap' before; it was adorable.

"Sure. I'd like that."

He got up to pay the tab and told her to put her wallet away as she reached into her purse.

/

They waited out front for the cab, and she looked small, and a little lost in the city with all the bright lights, heavy traffic, and crowded sidewalks. She was only 5 foot 2, and it didn't help with his sense of guilt about taking her to bed, she looked really young next to him.

When the cab pulled up, he got the door for her then followed her in, and soon it became a whole different ballgame.

She slid in close to him, and Merle could see the driver's eyes in the rearview mirror, watching with interest as she slithered her arms around him.

"Where to, pal?"

"The Marriot," Merle answered and the next thing he knew her hand was on his thigh.

"You sure about this, honey?" he whispered. "Didn't you want it to be someone special?"

It was clear just from her body language that she wanted him and he needed to iron out the details.

"Do you like me, Merle?" she asked, pausing to look right through him.

"Yeah, I like you a lot," he answered honestly.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" she asked, and he was blown away by the way this shy woman was coming on so strong.

He caught the eyes of the taxi driver and could tell that he'd heard every word. The driver's eyes screamed to him to go for it, and that was definitely his intention.

"I'm yours, honey. Just tell me what you want."


	2. Chapter 2

 

_**^What Happens in Vegas – Part 2** _

Susan slithered right up to him in the cab and whispered that she wanted him to show her everything.

Somehow she was never more certain of anything in all her life; he was the man she was meant to do this with. The attraction was intense, and it made her feel wild, she never felt anything like it before. All the things about sexuality that scared her before seemed exciting now, and she was ready to hand herself over to him completely. Maybe it was the all the bright lights or the change in surroundings, but she figured it was just him; Susan just wanted him to touch her, and she couldn't explain it.

He already showed her that he'd protect her and that he respected a woman's boundaries, that's what she needed to know. There was an obvious sexual magnetism about him, though, as well. Below the surface of his sweetness was a raw, masculine power and she wanted to see that side of him.

"I have this really strong feeling like you're the one who's supposed to show me how. Does that make any sense at all?"

"Not really, honey...but Jesus, I can't resist you," he moaned under his breath.

The thought of touching this sweet young woman was so good, but the situation was so delicate; she needed to be treated so gently.

No sooner had he agreed that she was in his arms and kissing him feverishly. Even her kiss was inexperienced, and he could tell it was all going to be new to her.

Merle lay his hand on her cheek and just rolled with it; Las Vegas cab drivers saw it all anyway.

He slowed the kiss down and tried to control her wild tongue a little with his own, setting a rhythm that made a little more sense. She adjusted to his way of kissing and soon she was moving her tongue in perfect mirror image to his as he pulled her closer by the waist.

"You're so sexy," she moaned softly as his hand drifted down to her hip and he kissed her neck hungrily.

He really hoped the cab driver heard her words; he felt like a god to have this pretty little thing falling all over herself for him.

"You're the sexy one, honey...I can't wait to get you alone."

"What are you gonna do to me?" she whined.

"We'll just have to see when we get to your room, won't we?" he teased.

"I want you to be my first, Merle...my first everything," she panted, and Merle had to chuckle at the expression on the face of the driver.

"I'll take good care of you, honey...I'll make it good for you. We need more than one night, though...how long are you here for?"

"I have tonight and tomorrow night, and then I leave Sunday morning."

"That's perfect...can I have both nights?" he pleaded.

"Yes."

When they pulled up outside the hotel, Merle handed money to the driver and winked at him as they got out.

The driver shook his head in jealousy or disbelief; Merle didn't know which.

The walk up to her room was fast, and before he knew it, she was shutting the door behind them and taking off her heels.

"I gotta say something first," he began.

"Yes?"

"You need to know you can stop any time."

"That's good," she smiled. "I could tell you were a good guy."

"I'm trying, but you don't make it easy. I probably shouldn't even agree to do this with you, but I did cause I know that I can do it right."

"Yeah?" she grinned.

"Yeah, if this is your first time then you need to be ready, and it's gotta be gentle."

The lamp was turned on next to the bed and outside the windows were the lights of Vegas. He couldn't wait to get her out of her church clothes, but it would all happen in due time.

He kissed her as he walked her back to the nearest wall and decided to ask for a little info, he needed to know where to begin.

"When you say you made out with a guy once, does that mean you actually took your clothes off?"

"No. He just touched me on top of my clothes."

"You sure you're ready for this?" he checked, feeling the doom of skepticism.

"I'm ready. You're going to be good to me, right?"

"Yes, honey...I ain't gonna hurt you, and it's gonna feel good, but you gotta tell me no when you need to."

"I will."

Merle started on the buttons of her silk dress shirt slowly as he kissed her lips. He'd be able to tell pretty quickly from her body language if it was all too much, but she wasn't objecting.

She had on a black bra that looked like the opposite of anything a virgin would wear. It was the kind of push up bra that demanded attention and was a mixture of silk and lace with a bow between her breasts.

"You're beautiful, honey," he offered, running his hands down from her shoulders to her elbows, almost afraid to taint her with his touch.

She threw him off guard by taking one of his hands and kissing the palm of it slowly and softly. Nobody had ever done this kind of thing to him. Apparently, she was going to show him a thing or two as well. The way she looked up at him with her doe eyes and sweet smile made him question everything he thought he knew about the kind of man he was.

When he couldn't take it anymore, he bowed down to kiss her mouth and then her neck. She giggled from nervous energy and held him close by the back of his head.

"Sweet Jesus," he groaned, pulling her chest to his mouth to kiss from her neck to that little bow between her breasts as she threaded her fingers into his hair.

Merle took his time and kissed her everywhere that was exposed until he could tell she was ready for more.

He reached behind her back and unfastened her bra before pulling it slowly down her arms.

"Still good?" he checked.

"Yes," she breathed.

He cupped both breasts in his hands and kissed her again, pulling a moan from her pretty little mouth.

"Can I kiss you here?" he asked, and she nodded; her eyes full of unwarranted trust.

She looked so certain that he felt confident about proceeding. He kissed his way down to her breast and kept his eyes on hers as he circled her nipple with his tongue.

Her eyes rolled back into her head as she bit her lip and he couldn't wait to take it even further.

"That feels good," she noted breathlessly.

She was shivering slightly from nerves, and he asked once more if she was happy to continue.

"I want more...but I'm still nervous."

"You don't have anything to be afraid of, sweetheart. You're the one in control here."

"I am?"

"Of course. You just say stop, and I'll stop with no questions asked. I won't be upset at all. You tell me to go faster, and I will. You tell me to go slower, and I'll do that too. This is all about you."

"Right now, I want more," she grinned.

"Then that's what you'll get," he answered as he closed his mouth around her nipple and sucked softly.

"Oh lord," she cried out and clung to his head.

She began to squirm, but her tight pencil skirt didn't allow for a lot of movement.

He decided to reach down to take off his own shirt before he tried to get rid of her skirt.

It was only fair that she should have a chance to see if his body was worthy of her before things went much further. He stayed in shape, but he wasn't 30 anymore.

"The man you're after back home is probably a lot younger, just remember he'll look better than I do," he laughed.

"You look good, Merle...really good," she grinned, and she pulled his chest to her mouth.

Everything she did was a little off because it was all new to her but he liked being thrown off kilter. Nothing she did was predictable because she was learning and hadn't come to fall into a set routine yet.

She kissed his chest so tentatively that he could barely take it. Part of him wanted to keep everything naughty, so he wouldn't have to focus on the fact that he was about to deflower this angel, he questioned it over and over.

"You probably thought about this happening for years," he noted.

"I have," she smiled. "I waited for so long."

"Are you sure this is how you want it to happen?"

"Yes."

Who was he to question a grown woman like she didn't know her own mind?

"You said you liked me, right?" she asked, pausing to look up at him with those innocent eyes.

"Honey, it's cause I like you that I want to be sure. I don't want you to regret anything. I don't wanna be a bad memory for you."

"I'm sure about this," she whispered.

She wasn't giving him anything to argue with, so he gave it up and unzipped her skirt.

His mouth lay hot kisses on her belly until she began to slide the skirt down herself. He sank down to his knees before her as she stepped out of the skirt and looked down at him anxiously.

Merle ran his hands up and down her perfect legs and tried to imagine how they'd feel wrapped around his back.

He kissed from her ankle up to her thighs, and she never took her eyes off of him.

"Can I touch you?" he asked.

"You mean-"

"Yes."

"...OK."

He decided that standing for this part was not a rookie move, so he stood and lifted her up into his arms.

Her legs came up to wrap around his body purely on instinct, and he lay her down on the bed underneath him.

He lay next to her so she wouldn't feel trapped and let his hand creep slowly down her body to her soft thighs.

She let out an almost inaudible, "Mmmm..." that made his whole body catch fire.

His big hand rested on her inner thigh until her knees parted and he took that as a sign to proceed.

Merle took the time to touch her through her black panties until he knew she was getting wet. Susan arched her back and whined as his fingers teased her through the material where he knew that just below would be her needy clit.

"You make me feel high," she hissed.

"I wanna make you feel like nobody else."

"You already are...and I want more."

Merle rose up to look down at her and tried to think how to ask for what he wanted.

"Can I take these off?" he asked, brushing his fingertips over her black panties.

She was smiling, but he could feel her heart racing as if it was his own. Her heart beat like a rabbit attempting to outrun a hawk; he guessed he must be the predator in that scenario.

"Yes," she whispered, and he slid them down her legs slowly as she raised her hips.

"I didn't see something as sweet as you walking into my life, honey," he panted.

"I'm glad I went out tonight," she smiled.

As expected she kept her legs closed so he decided to lean over and turn off the lamp. He wanted her to feel comfortable, and the bright light wasn't going to help her relax. He could still see her, but it was dimmer than before.

Susan held her arms over her head and just looked at him for a moment; he could see that she was working up the nerve and he didn't blame her for that.

"Nobody's ever seen you naked have they?" he asked.

"No."

"You're beautiful, honey...from head to toe you're perfect."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah...I've never seen a woman so beautiful before."

He lay beside her and just kissed her longer. For once in his life he wanted it to last as long as possible, and he was in no hurry to get off. He didn't even care if he did.

It was already clear that it wasn't the night to go all the way, but they could hopefully go a little further. He wanted her to have another day to change her mind about him before she did something she'd regret.

Merle's hand moved down her warm belly, and he could almost hear the beating of her heart.

He decided to take her own hand first and move it to the part of her body he really wanted to touch, maybe it would help if she initiated the touch herself.

"I...but..." she stuttered.

"Shhh...you start first, I won't look," he whispered.

He continued to kiss her neck and grazed his hands over her breasts as she touched herself, and her breathing changed instantly.

"Mmmmm..." she moaned softly.

"Is this something you've done before?" he asked.

"Yes...sometimes I have to do this."

He moved one hand down to her thigh, and she turned her knee out to the side a little, but he could feel her legs trembling.

"It's OK," he whispered and soon his hand was over hers.

After a minute or two, she removed her hand from the equation, and he touched her on his own. He had an idea what she liked from the motion of her own hand, so he simply continued.

"That feels so...Jesus!" she uttered.

She kept her arms over her face, and he knew that she was just taking it all in her own way.

Merle died inside at the sensation of her wet lips against his fingertips. Her legs weren't trembling anymore, and she was breathing steady and smooth; this was the right path. He added to the heat by bringing some attention back to her breasts with his mouth, and she groaned in ecstasy.

Between his mouth on her nipples and the way his fingers were slowly circling her slippery clit, it wouldn't take long but he wanted something more.

His best skills were of the oral variety, but he needed to check that it wasn't too much.

"I want to taste you...but if you don't want me to. Just tell me no, it's OK."

"Do you like that?" she asked.

"I love it."

She paused and held her hand against his face for a moment as if contemplating it.

"OK," she answered.

"Tell me to stop if you don't like it," he urged.

The room was dim, but he still pulled a light sheet from the end of the bed over her. Maybe she'd relax more if she was covered, he remembered that the first few girls he ever went down on as a teenager insisted on blankets.

She looked a little confused but pulled the sheet up to her chin and waited.

Merle slid his hand under the edge and drifted his touch up her calf to her thigh and then lifted the sheet over his head but he was met with barely open legs. He grinned to himself and didn't blame her at all; she had waited so long to do any of this that it was probably even scarier for her than an 18-year-old.

"Relax your legs open a little, honey; I won't hurt you."

He lay his hands on her outer thighs, and eventually Susan relaxed her legs against his big strong hands, and he licked from her knee to her desperate heat.

Her legs were still stiff, and he took it so slowly that by the time he was running his tongue over her closed slit she was warmed up nicely.

"Like that?" he asked when he took a short break for a breath of air. Breathing under a sheet wasn't the easiest thing in the world.

"It's so strange but so goooood," she whined, and he grinned under that blanket with a sense of pride.

"Strange can be good," he quipped.

His tongue moved back and forth across her lips, and he could feel her reacting to the pressure. He pulled one of her feet up onto his back, and she moaned at the new position.

She was close in only a few minutes, so he slid a single finger inside her to test the waters, and she groaned loudly.

"Damn..." she moaned, and he was delighted how hungry she was for it.

She was plenty wet, and she didn't seem apprehensive, so he slowly introduced another finger and her back arched deeply.

"Fuck!" she squeaked, and he chuckled to himself as he brought his tongue back to her clit to push her to the brink.

"I...Merle...I need..."

"Let it go, girl...that's right...just cum for me."

She panted and writhed on the bed and grabbed his head with both hands, rolling herself feverishly into his face.

By the time she came to her senses, it dawned on her how unhinged she had become.

"I'm so sorry...it just felt so good."

"Don't ever apologize for enjoying yourself, honey. Ain't nothing to be sorry for."

"I thought maybe you couldn't breathe," she shrugged.

"You can smother me in that sweetness any day of the week, honey."

"Come here," she pleaded, and she tried to drag him over her with her slender arms.

Merle came to lay next to her and slowed the moment down for a bit; he wasn't in any hurry.

"That felt incredible," she grinned, looking right into his eyes.

"You're a sweet girl, honey...you gotta know that this man back home will want you too. There's no way he wouldn't."

"Maybe."

"You'll never know if you don't try. You were pretty forward with me."

"I don't want to talk about him," she smiled and slid her hand down his chest to the front of his pants.

"You're really going for it aren't you?"

"Yes."

"You ever even seen a man naked?" he chuckled.

"Yeah, this guy in high school lost his trunks at the pool," she laughed.

"You might find a grown man a little different than a high school kid."

Susan was unabated and just proceeded to go for his belt, she was determined.

Something felt really wrong and really right about a younger woman undressing him, but he didn't fight it.

She yanked on his pants, and he raised his ass to assist her.

She eyed his boxer briefs almost suspiciously, and he couldn't help finding it amusing.

"We can stop for tonight."

"No."

"We shouldn't have sex tonight, Susan...it should be tomorrow if you still really want to."

"Think I'll change my mind?"

"You might; you did have a few drinks."

"Tomorrow it is then; I'm not changing my mind."

She still touched him then, and it was like being hung, drawn and quartered. The caveman inside him wanted to lay her out and fuck her good, but the civilized man in him wouldn't allow him to scare or push her.

Her hand moved on the outside of his underwear, and she just rested her head on his chest as she explored his body.

"Jesus," she gasped when her hand finally moved under the material.

He was hard as stone, and he would stay that way until he took care of it later on by himself. His dick still worked as well as it did when he was 18 and he was grateful for that.

"It really is hard," she mused.

She stroked him awkwardly and kissed his chest but there was so much behind the way she touched him, she was fully conscious of her movements.

Her kiss moved further south and he she blew his mind by running her tongue slowly up and down his dick. It was so soft and subtle, and he never dreamed such an act could be so powerful.

"That's nice, honey, but you don't have to."

"Shhhhh..." she hushed him and took him into her mouth.

It only lasted for a few minutes, and she soon went back to just touching him with her hand.

The weight of her head against his chest and the way she was driving him right to the edge was like an out of body experience. Merle had been with women who could go pro when it came to sucking dick, but this was infinitely better. It was sensual and perfect.

He turned toward her and told her how amazing she was and how good it felt.

"This is really brave of you, Susan," he said, as he shifted her hand around his back and off of his dick. Any more of her touch and he'd be begging to fuck her, and he didn't want that yet, it had to be the next day when she was completely sober.

"Brave?"

"It scary opening up to someone and letting them so close, it must be even harder when you've waited so long. I think it's brave...I'm just honored that you'd consider me worthy of getting so close, even if it's another man you really want."

"You make me feel safe, Merle. Blake makes me feel inadequate. What do you think that means?"

"Probably just means that you like him a lot...or he's a jackass," he chuckled. "I just have to run to the bathroom real quick, OK?"

"Sure," she smiled.

Merle stood with his hand pressed to the door of her bathroom for the next three minutes as he jerked off with thoughts of mauling her in his mind. He just didn't feel right about getting her to do this for him; she had already taken a huge leap forward. His hand moved rapidly on his throbbing dick, and he imagined her before him, pressed to the wall and begging him to take her. The release was so necessary but empty without her.

He washed up and looked at his reflection in the mirror for a minute, trying to tell himself he was still a good man.

When he walked out of the bathroom, she was holding the blankets open for him and had her head resting on the pillow, so he climbed in next to her.

She pulled him in close and clung to him, and it felt good, which surprised him. Merle was the type to prefer sleeping alone after sex, at least all the way on the other side of the bed.

It wasn't long before he could feel her sleeping in his arms and he smiled, wondering how he'd gotten so lucky. She'd be his for only one more day, but he'd make it the best day he could.

He hadn't even noticed how lonely he'd been until then, and how much he wished there was someone in his bed with him every night. He had a house back in Bangor, not far from Daryl's place and only a few blocks from their used car dealership. With her in his arms, sleeping so peacefully it was hard to imagine going back to his lonely bed.

Maybe it was silly, but he hoped that she'd remember him fondly as the first man she ever slept with, he hoped that she wouldn't regret her choice.


	3. Chapter 3

_**What Happens in Vegas - Part 3** _

Merle woke up with Susan curled up in his arms and didn't know quite how to feel about everything. He was happy to be there, but he wasn't so sure she'd feel the same.

Who knew if maybe she'd had more to drink than she thought? Maybe she'd throw him out.

He winced a little as she opened her eyes and only relaxed when she smiled and pulled him closer.

"Good morning," she yawned.

"Really good morning," he agreed. "What are your plans before your conference? Should I take a hike?"

"I was hoping maybe you'd show me around Las Vegas if you aren't busy. I got here two days ago, and I've been afraid to go anywhere except that bar where I met you."

"I'd love to show you the sites," he smiled. "Do you want to gamble or get Elvis to marry us?"

Susan laughed and rolled out of bed, taking the sheet with her as a dress. She disappeared into the bathroom, and he planned in his mind where to take her.

_**/** _

It was the easiest plan with only one day in Vegas to stick to The Strip, so that's what they did.

He took her to the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino for brunch, and she was awestruck at what she'd been missing.

"This place is incredible!" she grinned.

"You just wait, little missy. I'm taking you to the Eiffel Tower after lunch. You scared of heights?" he asked.

"A little, but I still want to see it."

Merle insisted that she gamble a little in the casino and she won $200 right off the hop with beginner's luck.

"I'm cashing out," she winked.

"You can't! You're on a roll!" he teased.

"Nope. I'm using this for the rest of our day out."

"No you ain't, I'm paying. You hang on to that."

Susan held his hand as they walked around, almost as if she was afraid to get separated and lost. He found everything she did adorable, and it was hard to get his mind around the idea that the plan was to actually make love to her that night. It was technically just sex, she didn't love him, but he couldn't think of it as just sex in his mind. No virgin deserved to have someone just have sex with them, it should be making love.

Stupid as it was he felt like he could easily love her already, but he didn't dare speak of it.

They took the monorail to the tower and at the top Susan insisted that a stranger take their picture together.

She kissed him by surprise just as the photo was taken and Merle had a ridiculously stunned expression on his face that embarrassed him. Susan refused to delete the picture, though, even when he pleaded.

He learned that she loved the outdoors and went camping every summer and he told her that he like to hunt and fish. They liked some of the same music and most of the same foods since they both lived on the coast. There was nothing he didn't like about her, but since he'd have to say goodbye soon, he wished that wasn't the case.

Merle took her to the Bellagio Fountain and then the gardens in the same location, and it was like experiencing it all for himself again. She was completely enthralled by everything, and he knew he'd never had a better time in Vegas before.

Just as he was sure she must have come to her senses, she brought up the original plan again.

"Still coming back to my room tonight?" she whispered into his neck as they walked through the gardens.

"You're still sure, huh?"

"I'm positive."

"Lemme take you for a nice dinner after your conference first," he suggested.

"I won't say no to that. Where should we go?"

"The Venetian," he winked. "It's romantic."

He regretted saying the word romantic right away because it felt like he was pressuring her, but she just smiled up at him.

Merle had to be without her for two hours as she attended the stuffy and boring law conference, but he picked her up immediately after.

_**/** _

Dinner was intimate, and Susan said she couldn't believe that a place like The Venetian was real. It looked like Venice right in the middle of Vegas, with the manmade canal and gondoliers. The white stone pillars and archways made it feel as though they'd left the US completely.

"This is the most incredible day I ever had. Thank you, Merle."

"Was my pleasure, honey...I was really lucky to meet you here."

"Me too."

A Chris Stapleton song began to play that made him think of her, but he couldn't help thinking it might bring her to her senses; maybe it would remind her of the man she wanted back home.

_**When I think of you and the first time we met** _

_**And I heard the sound of your sweet, gentle voice** _

_**My heart took me over and gave me no choice** _

_**And right then I knew** _

_**It makes me want more of you** _

_**Again and again** _

_**I fall more in love with you** _

_**Than I've ever been** _

_**From the moment you wake me up** _

_**Till you kiss me goodnight** _

_**Everything that you do** _

_**It makes me want more of you** _

She pushed food around her plate as if she was nervous and he insisted he could just take her back to her room for the evening and call it a night.

"I'm not nervous about that, I know it'll be fine."

"Then what's wrong?"

"I'm a little sad...and confused. It'll be weird to not see you again after Sunday."

"Maybe this isn't a good idea then. If you go back home and do this with the man you actually want to be with then, you'll get to stay together. That's how it should be, honey. I'd be honored to be with you but-"

"I'm sure about this, Merle."

He sighed heavily, and from the look in her eyes, she was not to be questioned any further.

"You're the boss, honey, and I your humble slave."

"That's what I like to hear," she grinned.

_**/** _

When they finally made it back to The Marriot, he was dying of nerves and realized he had no condoms.

"You just go up to the room, and I'll meet you right there, OK?"

Susan looked at him with a suspicious frown and took his cell phone from his pocket.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Making sure you come back."

"I'll be there, honey. I just need to get...protection."

"I'm still keeping this," she insisted. "See you in a minute."

He rolled his eyes and smiled at her silliness.

Merle walked to the nearest store for condoms and grabbed a postcard with a picture of the Las Vegas Eiffel Tower all lit up at night. The way she stood with her face almost pressed to the cage at the top trying to see everything would stick with him, she was an enigma.

Susan was right to be bothered by the fact that the first person she slept with would be a stranger that would fade into a foggy memory, but maybe at least he could leave her a note.

He bought her a bunch of flowers as well and then returned to her room to see if she still had her mind made up.

When he knocked at the door, she appeared instantly, and he knew she was still into it.

"Here," he said, handing her the roses.

What kind of gift was appropriate to give a young woman you were about to defile?

"Thank you, they're so pretty!" she smiled.

"Nobody ever given you flowers before?" he asked.

Her reaction seemed a little excessive for simple gift shop roses.

"Never. Nobody would dare bring me flowers with the way my father was," she laughed.

"That's such a shame," he noted. "A beautiful young woman like you should have had a life filled with flowers and romance and making love."

"It's not too late, though, right?" she smiled.

"Never too late."

He had the condoms in the pocket of his coat along with the postcard, and soon she was pulling him closer to kiss him and taking off his coat.

Merle noted that she moved a little faster and that she was touching him back more than the first time. He decided to be fully into it finally. He had done the right thing and given her a whole day to change her mind, and they hadn't had a drop of alcohol all day long.

She slid her cool hands up the back of his shirt and kissed him feverishly like she couldn't wait any longer for him.

There was nothing left to hold back for and questioning her anymore would come off as insulting. She wasn't a child, she was a grown woman, and this is what she wanted.

He backed her slowly toward the bed, and she was eager to be led.

He lay her under him and moved his hands over her body with the intention of enjoying it and ensuring that she did too. She was more than capable of saying no and until she did he was taking her consent at face value.

Susan pulled his shirt up over his head and ran her hands down his chest with a satisfied grin on her face. She looked so excited that it almost hurt, he wanted her for much longer than this one night.

Still, he focused on the event at hand and undressed her with care and attention to every new section of perfect skin being revealed.

He kissed her bare shoulders, and she wasn't scared, he could feel how calm she was but also how aroused.

"You know just what I need...I love how you touch me," she whispered, and his mind went a little fuzzy.

Soon they were under the covers and kissing madly. He could feel it in the air that neither of them was in any hurry; Susan had waited all of her adult life for this.

He kissed her breasts and traveled south to her belly where he lingered to lick a trail from one hipbone to the other.

Apparently, she was ticklish because she giggled and it was a sweet sound to him, maybe the sweetest ever.

He teased her mercilessly with his mouth under the covers again, and she held her climax at bay until she couldn't take another second. Merle's wet lips kissed the soft flesh between her thighs and his slippery tongue roamed through the folds of her hidden desire.

He could feel it rising within her as he slipped a single finger inside her and her heels pushed into the mattress as it washed over her.

"Oh my god...oh, Merle...yes!"

The taste of her pleasure was like a magical elixir, and he wanted it more than just this once. He didn't know a woman could taste so sweet and pure.

Susan whispered that she wanted to please him in return and he allowed her to for as long as she wanted to. Her touch was so inexperienced but still so good.

She was trying so hard, and yet she didn't need to, everything she did felt right to him.

Susan pulled him over her finally and looked up into his eyes like he was her savior and it made him just a little uncomfortable, he wondered what she was seeing in him.

"Now?" he asked.

"Yes...now."

Merle rolled off of her and paused for a minute, just sitting on the edge of the bed. It was his final moment to object, but she wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him softly between the shoulder blades.

"Please," she whispered.

He smiled and held her hands to his stomach before getting up to grab a condom.

She lay on her back as he put it on and just grinned at him. Merle suggested that she might not be smiling so much in a minute, it could be uncomfortable.

"You won't hurt me."

"I would never mean to, honey, not in a million years."

She invited him on top of her, and he was enveloped in her warm, soft thighs for a moment as he kissed her some more.

It happened very slowly, and very naturally, he was already lined up with her body.

"Keep going," she urged, as she brought her legs up higher on either side of his waist.

He dropped his head to the pillow beside her pretty face and tried to rationalize it all. Merle closed his eyes and recalled her in his mind the first time he saw her. So prim and proper, so untouched.

"You OK?" she asked.

He realized he wasn't moving but that he was fully inside her.

"Yeah...sorry, honey. You good?"

"I'm good...just go slow."

He rocked his hips slow but steady into her, and to his surprise, there was no wincing or issues. The fear of hurting her began to dissipate when she started to moan rhythmically. For some reason he couldn't look at her for a moment, he had to focus.

"Say something," she whispered.

"You're so beautiful, Susan...I hope you're never sorry about this."

"I won't be..."

The flames reached the ceiling of the hotel room, and Susan began to pant a little more heavily as they rolled onto their sides.

They never broke the connection, though, as he held her ass and moved into her smooth and slow.

Face to face, he could see just how OK she really was. Her eyes were closed, but she was biting her bottom lip with a little grin lighting up her pretty face.

"I'm not hurting you?" he checked.

"It's a lot of pressure...but no pain."

It continued until he felt she'd had enough and he allowed himself to cum. He still pulled out to be extra careful, though. Merle had fulfilled his purpose then, and she didn't need a reminder of him in the form of an unwanted pregnancy. Condoms were good but nothing was perfect, and he wasn't about to risk ruining her life.

Merle lay back with his head on the pillow when it was over, and she curled up to him with her head on his chest and her arm around him just like she was his.

"Well?" he asked.

"That was incredible...better than I imagined it could be."

"I sure tried my best for you."

"It was perfect," she sighed. "I'm so tired after that day out and now this."

The use of the word 'was' stung already, but he was never promised more than the two nights with her.

"Rest then, honey," he said, kissing the top of her head. "Do you still want me to stay? I can leave if you want me to."

"Please, stay. I need to fly home in the morning, so I want you here until I have to go."

"Good...I wanted to stay," he admitted.

It wasn't long before she was sleeping in his arms and he was kicking himself for letting himself fall for her. Watching her walk away was going to hurt like hell.

_**/** _

In the morning she jumped in the shower, and he got dressed as he waited for her.

Merle sat down at the hotel desk and grabbed a pen with 'The Marriot' written on the side.

He pulled the postcard from his coat pocket and wondered what the hell to write if anything.

It was likely that after that morning he'd never see her again, but he wanted her to have something to remember what happened if she wanted to. She could always throw the postcard away too if she'd rather forget.

Susan was humming to herself in the shower; she sounded happy and at peace which made him feel better.

Merle decided to be as honest as he wanted to since this was the last communication he'd ever have with her and poured his heart into the little white space on the back of the card. He wrote small and took up every inch, but he had to do it.

He grabbed her carry on luggage and slipped the post card between the pages of a book she was reading and then left it alone.

Her flight was leaving early, and he'd be heading home the next day after his business meeting that afternoon.

"I'll drive you to the airport if you want," he offered, desperate to get every single second he could with her.

"Please," she smiled. "This was..."

"Crazy?"

"Maybe, but I'll never be sorry."

It sounded like she was already letting go of the last two days and maybe that was for the best. It wasn't like him to get attached, but here he was hoping she'd ask to see him again.

The ride to the airport was long because he took the long way and he never wanted to get there.

At the airport, he bought her a cheap little snow globe with the Eiffel Tower inside hoping that she'd remember their time together and maybe smile.

"You're a good man, Merle. I'm so lucky that I met you."

Merle was determined not to get weepy, so he had to keep the goodbye brief.

"I won't be forgetting you anytime soon, honey. Who am I kidding? I'll never forget you as long as I live...you take care of yourself."

"You too."

He hugged and kissed her because he just had to and wished her luck with the lucky bastard back in Nova Scotia.

She smiled and paused for a moment just looking at him but her flight was boarding, and she didn't have time to say anything else.

"Better go, honey," he smiled.

"Goodbye, Merle."

He just nodded with a big fake smile cause he couldn't say goodbye out loud and still keep it together.

Merle was baffled by his own feelings and sensed that he would be for a long time to come. He suspected that it was love, but she wasn't for him; there was a younger man back home who'd get to be hers now.

##############################################

**There is one more chapter and I just need to read it over and I'll post it after supper:)**

**Thank you for reading. Teagan XOXO**


	4. Chapter 4

_**What Happens in Vegas - Part 4** _

Susan found her seat on the plane and knew that she wasn't OK, leaving Merle didn't feel right.

When an air host walked by with the drink cart, she asked for rum and coke without a moment's pause even though it was well before noon.

Merle had been with 20-some women so getting clingy was stupid, and she told herself that she had to let it all go. For 5 hours she'd be stuck on a plane thinking of the night before, and she dreaded it.

He was so gentle and sweet that she couldn't help falling, but that's what happened when you were a virgin with no experience in love. Susan had never been treated by any man the way that Merle treated her. He had wished her luck with the man back home, so it was obvious that he was OK with it coming to an end. They didn't even live in the same country, although she had been born in the US.

Her mind raced, and she decided to play a game on her phone to stay distracted, but she saw the picture of them at the top of the Tower as soon as she turned it on.

Susan tried not to get emotional, and the only thing she regretted about sleeping with Merle is that they couldn't be together.

**_/_ **

Merle went back to the bar where he met her that night and tied one on like he hadn't done in years.

He even drank white wine just because she had and stared at his phone wishing he had her number.

_What would he even say, though?_

_I'm that_ _old_ _guy you left in Vegas, and I miss you?_

It was stupid; he should never have slept with her because now it was going to eat him alive. Daryl would laugh himself silly at the situation he'd landed himself in, and he dreaded telling him.

Merle got buzzed at the bar all alone, and soon a woman with dark hair approached him.

"You drinking alone tonight?" she asked.

"Yep."

"You OK?"

"No, I'm heartbroken."

"That's a shame...did you want to talk about it?"

"I don't think so; I'm not really in the mood to blubber in front of a stranger."

"OK."

"Sorry to be rude."

"I understand. I was just offering cause I've been there myself recently and I could tell you were sad."

"I appreciate it."

He downed the glass of wine and hissed at the dry sting in his throat then nodded to the bartender that he wanted another.

"Not a lot of men drink white wine," the woman remarked.

"I know...but she drank it."

"It'll give you a hangover that will make you wish you were dead, be careful."

"I already wish I was dead."

The woman came closer, and she smelled good to him, but he didn't want her.

"Why don't you have a real drink and then let me take you back to my room...I can make you feel better."

He chuckled to himself and turned toward her for a laugh.

"How much?"

"For you? $50, you are heartbroken after all."

"No, thanks."

The dark haired woman sighed and rolled her eyes at him before wandering away to try someone else. Genuine concern wasn't always easy to come by in Vegas, and he just wanted to get home to Maine where he could lie to himself that he was OK in peace.

_**/** _

Susan unpacked her bags and threw her clothes in the laundry. She still had the ticket stubs from the Tower and placed them in her jewelry box as a keepsake.

Her mind drifted to Blake, and she knew it wasn't the right time to start something with him now. She would have to get over Merle first...she hoped she could anyway.

Her apartment was cool, her bed was empty, and she didn't really know which way was up, so she decided to take a shower and then read.

Nothing felt right as she dried her hair with a towel and sat at the island in the kitchen eating soup noodles because she couldn't be bothered to cook.

The sensation of his hands on her body was still fresh in her mind and the sound of his gravely voice in her ears.

_**~You're so beautiful, Susan...I hope you're never sorry about this...** _

She could still feel him inside her, and she tried to push the thought away as her lip began to tremble.

"Damn it," she winced, all alone in the dim room.

Susan pushed the bowl of lukewarm noodles away and sighed as she grabbed her book to find the place she'd left off before she lay eyes on him.

She felt an eeriness wash over her when she picked up a postcard from Vegas and wondered what it was doing in her book.

She got her answer swiftly by turning it over, and it made her fall apart completely.

_**Susan,** _

_**I miss you already, and you're not even gone yet. I can hear you humming in the shower right now, and I'm trying hard not to ask if I can come in with you. Please remember that the first person** _ _**you had sex with** _ _**actually loved you, it wasn't just sex for me. You got to me like no woman ever has before, and I'm pretty sure I'll be thinking of you till it drives me insane.** _

_**Still, I hope that your future back home is filled with love and happiness and that the man you want becomes yours. You deserve to have the man that you want, honey. I won't ever forget you.** _

_**Love, Merle Dixon XOXO** _

_**~ By the way, you were wonderful. I'm not exaggerating when I say that you were the best I ever had.** _

_**/** _

Merle was back in Maine only a day when his brother began asking what the hell his problem was. He'd been tearing up when he was alone at night but didn't tell Daryl that.

"Nothing, leave it alone, Daryl."

"Lose some money or something? I told you gambling ain't your strong suit."

"I didn't gamble."

"Then what's wrong? You look like your dog died or something," Daryl pressed.

"I...forget it."

"Merle!"

"I met a woman there. OK?"

"Meeting a woman in Vegas sounds dicey," Daryl shuddered.

"She wasn't like most Vegas women...she wasn't like any woman I ever met."

"Oh yeah?" Daryl sat back in the office of the used car lot they co-owned and knew he was in for a story. "Go on."

"She was young, only 26. Her name was Susan, and I just bought her a drink and then...I fucking love this girl, Daryl."

"I think you missed some stuff in the middle there. You bought her a drink, and you fell in love?"

"We talked for a long time and...you won't judge me, right?"

"I judged you years ago," Daryl laughed.

"She was a virgin. I tried to tell her no, I even made her wait till the next day to be sure it wasn't the booze talking but she all but begged me to be her first. She said there was some guy back home that she liked and she wanted someone to show her all about it before she tried for this other man."

"Damn!" Daryl exclaimed.

"I don't know what the hell I was thinking to agree to it, but she kept insisting it's what she wanted."

"Holy crap, Merle-"

"She took me back to her room the first night, but I didn't go through with it, I had to give her time to change her mind. The next day I took her all over Vegas cause she was scared to do it alone and we had the best day I can imagine. I took her to the Tower and all the tourist places on The Strip, and I didn't want it to end-"

"Merle, this doesn't sound anything like you," Daryl interrupted.

"We went back to her room that night, and I made love to her."

"Since when do you use the term 'make love'?"

"I don't think I ever did it before. It was slow and really simple, but it was the best I ever had, Daryl. I was just about to beg her to come home with me the next morning but...I drove her to the airport, and now she's gone. She's probably in the arms of this other man right now, and all I wanna do is drink myself into an early grave."

"Merle, this is insane! It was just a weekend," Daryl began.

"I'm losing it, Daryl. I miss her so much."

"You need to take a couple of days off and get your head right. I can handle things here."

"Maybe I should," he shrugged.

"Go out to the cabin and have a drink, but don't drink yourself to death over a woman for Christ's sake!"

Merle got up and decided he did need a little personal time, he'd done the same for Daryl on occasion, and it was a bonus of running their own business.

_**/** _

Merle wandered around the cabin that evening and realized he didn't even have her last name. He couldn't Google her or find her number...she was completely gone like a ghost who was going to keep haunting his heart. He played the Chris Stapleton song again, trying to get all the tears out so he could move on with his life.

_**When I look at you now that years have gone by** _   
_**I think of the memories that time can't erase** _   
_**And all of the smiles that you've brought to my face** _   
_**Your love's been so true** _

_**It makes me want more of you** _   
_**Again and again** _   
_**I fall more in love with you** _   
_**Than I've ever been** _   
_**From the moment you wake me up** _   
_**Till you kiss me goodnight** _   
_**Everything that you do** _   
_**It makes me want more of you** _

He drank to ease the ache and pictured her in his mind as he lay back on his deck in the hammock. The wind was rocking him gently, and he looked out over Brewer Lake at the gray sky overhead.

Maybe he had waited too long to look for 'the one' and left himself a broken man over a simple tryst, maybe he really was losing it.

_**/** _

The next day around noon he decided to get out and go for a walk around the lake to clear his head. He'd only just gotten to the end of the path when he saw someone and only after a moment did he realize it was her. She was just standing in the road with her suitcase and looking at him with those same eyes.

"Susan?"

"Hey."

"How did you find me?" he asked before it dawned on him that it sounded rude. He just couldn't believe it.

She walked toward him and was taking something out of her purse.

"Your brother drove me here after I called him looking for you and then flew all the way here...did you mean this?"

She held out the postcard to him, and he took it from her hands to look down at what he'd written.

"Honey...I never meant anything as much as I mean this."

"You love me?" she asked softly.

"Yeah, I love you like I never loved anyone."

She sank into his arms, and he couldn't help but fall apart. He never dreamed that she'd just show up.

It occurred to him that he would be trying to find her in Nova Scotia before long but no woman had ever come looking for him.

"You said I deserve to have the man I want, and I want you," she whispered.

He kissed her right there in the street and finally noticed Daryl's car just a little further up the road. Daryl nodded to him and pulled a U-turn to head back home.

"How long can I keep you here?" he asked. "What about us living in separate countries?"

"I'm an American...so maybe I can make Maine my new home," she smiled.

"You're American?"

"I was born in Pennsylvania, but we didn't get a chance to share very much about ourselves, did we?"

"I guess not," he smiled. "Come inside."

Merle picked up her suitcase and carried it to his cabin, wrapping an arm around her waist and kissing her cheek as he did.

"You're a sight for sore eyes, honey."

_**/** _

Merle was in shock to see her but didn't waste a single moment telling her how he felt.

"I want you, Susan...I want you forever. I walked up to you in that bar, and you stole my heart, honey."

"And you stole mine...make love to me again and I'll stay."

Merle walked her to the couch and pulled her down with him in a heap of kissing and touching that was sloppy as hell, emotional and so perfect.

"How did you get here?" he asked as he took a break to kiss her neck.

"I used every last air mile I had," she laughed.

"I'll reimburse you," he promised as he pulled her underneath him. "What about that man, though?"

"I couldn't care less about him since I met you."

"I was gonna die a sad old man if I never saw you again."

"Your brother did mention when I called from Nova Scotia that you'd be happy to see me."

"More than happy," he said as he kissed from her hand down her arm slowly to her shoulder.

Susan tore at his clothes, and he reciprocated till they were naked and tangled on the living room floor like a couple of teenagers.

"You brought me to life, Merle...take me, please."

"Maybe you could take me this time," he winked.

Soon he was sitting back on the middle couch cushion, and she was raising her leg over his lap.

"Don't laugh...I'm new at this," she grinned.

"I wouldn't laugh at you in a million years, honey."

She kissed him sweet and slow and moved her hand down between them after a few minutes to arrange everything.

"Is it really OK that I'm 45?" he asked, in a last ditch moment of insecurity.

"I couldn't care less, Merle...you're the man I want."

She sank down on him then, and it was like a raindrop creeping down a window pane, sleepy and gradual.

"Oh hell..." he groaned and pulled her tight against him with both arms wrapped around her.

"Good?" she giggled.

"You're so damn good, honey...so good."

Susan started to rock on his lap, and his hands pulled her breasts to his mouth so he could taste her sweet skin again.

"Don't stop..." she whined, and he grinned, knowing just what she meant.

He teased his tongue around her nipples as they hardened before his eyes before taking one at a time into his mouth.

"Mmmmm," she moaned and started to fuck him a little faster.

"Jesus, woman! You're hot like fire," he panted before she pulled his mouth back to her breasts.

Susan knew just what she wanted, and she was taking it.

When she finally came, it was loud and unapologetic.

She cried out his name as her entire body trembled and she ground herself into his lap.

**_/_ **

Merle held her so tight, and she melted into his body completely. He was the earth and the fire, and she never wanted to let him go. He kissed every inch that he could reach with his mouth and repeated over and over how much he missed her and wanted her.

This is what Susan had dreamed of for all her life. She prayed for a man to remove all the doubt and capture her heart in one fell swoop and here he was. It's like she couldn't get enough of his body, his voice or his very presence. He filled her body and soul so perfectly like they were two pieces of a puzzle made only for each other.

Merle picked her up and carried her to his room without a moment's pause and lay her out so gently.

"I missed you," she murmured looking up into his eyes.

"I was fallin' apart, honey...you got me."

"How did this happen? I just couldn't stay away from you," she mused, holding him to her bare chest.

"It doesn't make any sense, honey, but this is real...I know it."

_**/** _

Merle spent the next few days asking her everything there was to know about herself, kissing her and walking with her through the woods. At his age, he never dreamed that there was anyone left in the world just for him, but here she was. They spent time quietly together, feeling safe with each other and lost in their own private world at the cabin.

She said she'd move to Maine and he couldn't wait to have her closer to him. She'd have to find a job, and it wouldn't happen overnight, but he knew it would happen. Someday soon Susan would be in his life every day, and he realized how much he needed it, the stability of a real relationship.

Merle told her he loved her a hundred times over the course of their time together and kissed her every chance he got, it was a week of heaven.

The idea of meeting the perfect person in a bar in Vegas sounded far-fetched, but her being with him then was proof that what happened in Vegas didn't always have to stay there.*


End file.
